Weehawken students bring French Revolution skit to 'Hamilton' stage

Weehawken High School juniors, from left, Jose Mesa, Devynn Givens, and Chris Arias perform their original skit at the Richard Rodgers Theatre in Manhattan. Courtesy of Weehawken High School

WEEHAWKEN - A trio of Weehawken students got their shot at Broadway earlier this month.

Weehawken High School juniors Jose Mesa, Devynn Givens and Chris Arias saw the Broadway smash hit "Hamilton" and performed on stage during a pre-performance educational event on Feb. 8 at the Richard Rodgers Theatre in Manhattan.

The students represented one of 14 high schools from the New York City area during a Hamilton Education Program event hosted by the cast of "Hamilton."

Before taking in a matinee performance of the show, the Weehawken kids -- whose high school is only a few hundred feet away from the site of Alexander Hamilton's fatal duel with Aaron Burr - performed a skit about American neutrality during the French Revolution.

The skit was developed as part of an interdisciplinary project-based learning activity in the students' U.S. history and English courses taught by Laurie Kroll and Kate Kitzie.

"That's how we're teaching history here at Weehawken High," said Weehawken Superintendent of Schools Robert R. Zywicki. "The entire experience was electrifying for the students."

The three students were excited to perform an original skit modeled after the Tony Award-winning show, making the connection that the program was intended to foster, Givens said.

"It felt amazing to be on stage, I was super excited, it was kind of surreal," said Givens.

Following the student performance, members of the Hamilton cast conducted a question and answer session about the musical and its historical and modern contexts.

The Hamilton Education Program is sponsored by The Gilder Lehrman Institute for American History and funded by The Rockefeller Foundation. The program enables participating schools to see the acclaimed rap musical and then integrate Alexander Hamilton and period-related history into classroom curriculum.

Prior to the performance, the entire Weehawken High School junior class submitted similar skits, from which four or five groups were chosen to perform at the school. From that group, Mesa, Givens, and Arias were named winners and chosen to represent Weehawken at the Hamilton Education Program event.

"The students enjoyed the experience on many levels," Kitzie said. "For many of them it was the first chance to see a Broadway play, so getting to see 'Hamilton' was mind-blowing."

Weehawken High School teachers Michelle McCormick and Christine Mantineo were instrumental in the school's acceptance into the Hamilton Education program in December, Zywicki added.